pain & gain

It is good for all film snobs, when they want to dismiss Bay as thoughtless and utterly lowbrow, to remember that Criterion put out versions of both The Rock (spine #108) and Armageddon (spine #40). They had good reason to do so.

His slow-motion prowess and action-film chops add a surreal element, but Bay’s camera leers at the world the same way his characters do. He wants to celebrate his “heroes” at the same time he’s making fun of them, but his over-the-top delivery gives him away. On top of that, the constant narration gives away too much of the mystery of their motives and it ends up trying way too hard to be funny.

This week, Eric, Trey, and Trevan welcome Matt Lloyd, a confessed Bay-o-phile to talk about Pain & Gain, the stranger-than-fiction pet project from Michael Bay. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and a huge supporting cast and follows body builder bank robbers as they extort millions from some rich businessman or something. If you don’t [...]

From Michael Bay comes PAIN & GAIN, a new action comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie. Based on the unbelievable true story of a group of personal trainers in 1990s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong.